The British Academy of Sound Therapy has been researching the benefits of listening to music for therapeutic purposes for years. TheirMusic as Medicine projectwanted to identify exactly what kind of music brings positive responses and how long you have to listen to feel the effects. They tested more than 75-hundred people and found:
- 90.15% used music to relax
- 81.80% to make them happy
- 46.5% to process and/or release sadness
- 32.53% to aid concentration
Beyond that:
- Music for relaxation- This research suggests 13 minutes is the optimum listening time for using music to relax. The best music for this effect has a slow tempo, simple melodies and no lyrics and after 13 minutes, 79% of participants had less muscle tension, 84% had fewer negative thoughts and 82% felt peaceful and content.
- Music for happiness- To be uplifted by music, it takes just nine minutes of hearing music with a driving rhythm, fast tempo and happy lyrics. After that time, 89% of participants had improved energy levels, 65% felt happier and/or laughed more, and 82% felt able to take on anything and more in control of their lives.
- Music to process or release sadness- When people trying to work through their sadness listened to music with lyrics they connected with for 13 minutes, they felt better. That amount of time left 87% feeling more emotionally stable, 84% feeling less overwhelmed, and 91% feeling relief and release.
Source:Good News Network